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"Exactly," Odin continues. "They grew accustomed to a lawless life, easy money, drugs, I assume, and began criminal operations on their own. As lovers and with the knowledge they had gained in the Chinese mafia and FBI, they quickly became wealthy. But from that point on, they were on the run not just from the Triad, which sought revenge, but also from the FBI’s witness protection program."
"Hence the need for so many false identities," I conclude.
"Precisely."
Fuck, it feels like I’m hearing the plot of a horror movie. Brooklyn had no idea who she was really involved with.
"And what kind of work were they doing?" I press.
"A little bit of everything, offering services to other mafias as freelancers, for instance."
"Such as?" Ares asks.
Odin shrugs. "Mainly assassinations. But Shelley got greedy and decided to enter the very trade she once fought: human trafficking."
"Were they still together?"
"I think so, at least until he met Brooklyn. I believe Jordan got involved with her casually—perhaps a feeble attempt to have a normal life, or maybe because he was an irresponsible bastard who didn’t care about putting an innocent woman at risk."
Tension spreads through my body. As a doctor, I’ve never wished to kill someone—my job is to save lives. But that has just changed. I could strangle him with my bare hands if he were still on this damn planet.
"Continue," I demand.
"Anyway, I think he genuinely fell for Brooklyn, or maybe upon learning she was pregnant, he wanted to change his fate. It was too late, of course. I’m not certain what happened, but if I had to guess, I’d say he ended things with his partner to try to become a family man."
"Family man, my ass!" Hades snaps. "The bastard put a target on her back and on the backs of her babies."
"Yes, I think that’s exactly what happened. He underestimated Shelley’s rage—the bitterness of being replaced by a younger, beautiful, and pure woman. Everything she no longer was."
"So Brooklyn was indeed the intended target," Zeus says, and my hands clench the arms of my chair in fury.
"Yes. Shelley wouldn’t have killed him. She wanted him back, the way they once were."
"Where is she?" I ask.
"Not in the United States, or I’d have found her already."
"Why didn’t the hitmen rat her out?"
"I think they were hired without knowing who she truly was. I suspect if they’d known how skilled Jordan was with weapons, they would never have entered his house that night."
"We need to find her," I insist.
"We will," Odin promises. "Now that we know her identity, there’s nowhere in the world she can hide."
"Are we involving Interpol?" I ask.
"No. Someone far more effective—a longtime partner of my cousin Christos. I’ll track her, and Beau LeBlanc will bring her back to our country."
"And then?" Zeus asks.
"We’ll let the justice system deal with her. Shelley Edward has a bounty on her head, both from her former government employers and the Triad. Once she’s imprisoned, her punishment will come swiftly. I’d wager she won’t even make it to trial."
My mind is racing, but at least now we have a starting point.
"I have to go," I announce, standing.
"I’ve already messaged the pilot. He’ll be waiting for you at the helipad," Zeus says, standing as well. "I’ll walk you to the elevator."